Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson was joined by Yankees Director of Corporate/Community Relations Kenny Leandry and NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Partnerships Darryl Rattray in the Bronx Borough Hall rotunda on Dec. 15 for the unveiling of three winning murals chosen from a pool of 24 submitted to the DYCD’s Social Impact Art Competition “First Pitch.”
“We know that art has been proven to positively impact our youth by providing them with constructive, effective and safe ways to be civically engaged,” Gibson said. “Through the Department of Youth and Community Development’s Social Impact Art Competition, ‘First Pitch,’ our teens were able to explore the complexities of violence and its impact in our homes, schools and communities.”
Details of the competition were announced on March 1, with 200 DYCD middle and high school programs in the Bronx invited to participate.
“It’s an undebatable fact that Bronxites are some of the most artistic and creative people on the planet,” said DYCD Commissioner Keith Howard. “I may be biased as a Bronx native, but I couldn’t be more proud of these young artists representing the borough and using their talents to inspire a better future for all.”
The competition winners are:
1. The Claremont Neighborhood Center with their mural themed, “Youth Violence and the Impact on Mental Health,” by Artists Mahawa Sankara and Maryam Choudhry;
2. The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, Inc. with their mural themed, “Violence Afflicted by Lack of Mental Health Intervention in Bronx Communities,” by Artists Kaitlyn DeLeon, Ethan Flores, Zaida DeJesus, and Illiana Torres;
3. And Learning Through An Expanded Arts Program, Incorporated’s “Silenced Violence: The Unspoken & Unresolved Issue,” created by Artists Mohagany Morales, Jolany Tejada, Yeremi Diaz, and Hadasa Herrera.
All three murals will be displayed for the public to enjoy in the rotunda of Bronx Borough Hall located at 851 Grand Concourse through Dec. 21. The competition is the result of a public-private partnership between DYCD and the New York Yankees that encourages youth to effect change through the arts.
“We encourage everyone to come out and see firsthand how Bronx youth are amplifying their voices through creativity for social change,” Howard said.
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